Rust disintegrator



1957 H. N. PlNARD RUST DISINTEGRATOR Filed Jan. 18, 1956 In men tor,

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United States Patent C RUST DISINTEGRATOR Henri N. Pinard, Manchester, N. H., assignor to Armand Beaudet and Donald Gelinas, jointly, both of Manchester, N. H.

Application January 18, 1956, Serial No. 559,901 3 Claims. (Cl. 241-46) This invention relates to a device for disintegrating flakes of rust when inserted in a liquid circulation system, for instance, in the water cooling system of an automobile.

In the maintenance of adequate cooling radiation for an automobile engine one of the problems is that the small passages of the radiator are gradually plugged by flakes of rust dislodged from the interior of the water jacket of the engine which results in reduction of radiation capacity and overheating of the engine. The water jackets in the engine, the hose connections with the radiator and the tank of the radiator forming part of the circulation system are comparatively large openings which permit the passage of large rust flakes along with the circulating cooling water, but when these transported rust flakes reach the comparatively small passages of the cooling tubes of the radiator they cannot so easily pass through, and once the free passage of water through such a tube is impeded by one or two rust flakes, other rust flakes become lodged and accumulate in the passages until the tube is completely plugged and rendered useless. The only remedy is to remove and take apart the radiator and mechanically clean its parts by insertion of a tool through the plugged tubes. This operation is expensive, inconvenient and time consuming.

My invention overcomes the above disadvantage by providing an inexpensive, simple device which is quickly and easily installed in the hose connection of an automotive radiator system and which pulverizes the rust flakes which are transported in the water stream so that the rust flakes are so reduced in size that they may pass freely through the small passages of the radiator tubes without causing plugging and stoppage. The device of the invention exerts a mechanical percussive action on the rust flakes which is exerted by a combination of the direct contact of the device with the rust flakes and the reaction of the device upon the movement of the circulating water stream through the device.

I preferably make the enclosure of my device of a transparent material so that it has the added advantage of providing visibility of the water stream circulating in the system. This enables it to be quickly ascertained whether the circulation is adequate and whether leaks are present as will be more fully explained.

My invention is described herein in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side view of the device installed in an automotive cooling circulation system between the cylinder head and the top tank of the radiator.

Fig. 2 is an elevation view of the interior mechanism in combination with an axially longitudinal section of the exterior enclosure.

In the drawings, 1 indicates the cylinder head of an automobile engine and 2 indicates the top tank of the cooling radiator. A part of the circulating conduit generally indicated at 3 extends between the interior water jacket of the cylinder head 1 and the top radiator tank 2.

Inserted in the circulating conduit 3 is the device 5 o: my invention. It comprises a liquid enclosure 6 pref erably formed of suitable transparent material of ade quate strength such as high temperature glass, having cylindrical ends 7 each preferably formed with an ex terior bead 8 surrounding an end opening 9. Integrally formed between and coaxial with the cylindrical ends 1 is an enlarged generally spherical portion 10 providing therein a chamber 11. A generally cone shaped helical coil element 15 has its enlarged end 16 seated in one of the enclosure ends 7 and is coaxially arranged within the chamber 11 with its small end 17 directed toward and into but not touching the other end 7 of the enclosure 6. The spherical portion 10 extends along the axis oi the coil element 15 for a major part of the free portion of the coil element. The coil element 15 is formed oi resilient springlike wire material preferably a nonferrous alloy so that it is capable of axial expansion and contraction. In Fig. l the cooling water stream passes upwardly from right to left between the cylinder head 1 and the radiator tank 2 in the direction of the arrow and the disintegrator device 5 is oriented so that the stream of water flows through the enclosure 6 from the large end .away from the large end 16, and with a reduction in the velocity of the water stream the small end contracts axially toward the large end, thus tending to increase or reduce the size of the interstices between the convolutions of the coil element 15.

The helical shape of the coil element together with the spherical shape of the chamber 10 imposes a swirling action on the water stream in the chamber 10. The result is that flakes of rust carried in the water stream strike against the convolutions of the coil element 15 and are pulverized into a much more finely divided form capable of passing through the smaller passages in the circulation system without plugging the passages. By its capacity to expand axially as a result of increases in velocity of the water stream, the coil 15 does not build up undue resistance to the circulation of water in the conduit.

When the device 5 is positioned in the circulation system as shown in Figure 1 any leaks developing in the circulation system due, for instance, to a cracked cylinder block or a leaky gasket, cause air bubbles to appear adjacent the inside of the spherical portion 10 where, when the enclosure 6 is formed of transparent glass, the bubbles and the movement of the circulating water are easily visible so that the condition of the circulation system may be readily ascertained.

I have found that the device 5 described herein does not retain and accumulate rust flakes and particles and that it does not need cleaning.

In actual operation in the cooling system of an automobile it has been observed that the helical coil element 15 vibrates axially with perceptible movement undoubtedly due to pulsations imparted to the water stream by the impeller of the water pump and it is my belief that this vibrating action with the resulting opening and closing of the interstices between the convolutions of the coil, con tribute to the pulverizing action of the device. In any event I have noticed a marked improvement in the condition of automobile cooling systems in which my devices have been installed, this improvement obviously resulting from continued maintenance of free passages in the system through the use of the device of the invention.

1 claim:

1. A device for disintegrating flakes of rust when inserted in a water circulation system comprising an enmore having coaxial cylindrical ends providing openlgs and each arranged to form a liquid tight connection 'ith a conduit portion of a said circulation system and n enlarged generally spherical portion integrally formed Jaxially with and between the said ends providing a Jamber, and a generally cone shaped helical coil elelent having its large end seated in one of said ends of aid enclosure and coaxially arranged in said enclosure 'ith its small end directed into but not touching the other rid end of said enclosure, said spherical portion extendlg along the axis of the coil element for a major part of 1e free portion of the coil element; said coil element eing formed of resilient material and capable, when ibjected to a varying velocity stream of Water through rid enclosure passing from the inside to the outside of aid coil and directed from its large end toward its small ad, of axial expansion and contraction in accordance 'ith the variations in the velocity of said water stream nd said coil operating to impose a swirling action on said 'ater stream in said chamber and to pulverize flakes of ust passing through said coil.

2. In the combination as set forth in claim 1, each said ylindrical end having an external peripheral head around .4 its said opening and being thereby arranged to retain a hose clamped thereon to form a liquidtight connection with said hose.

3. In the combination as set forth in claim 2, said enclosure being integrally formed as a single unit of glass.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 622,217 Fuller et al. Apr. 14, 1899 1,933,409 Berman Oct. 31, 1933 2,125,435 Erling Aug. 2, 1938 2,325,657 Burkness Aug. 3, 1943 2,384,057 Wetherell Sept. 4, 1945 2,452,661 Kinney Nov. 2, 1948 2,697,521 Cherkin Dec. 21, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 507,459 France June 23, 1920 922,154 France Jan. 27, 1947 OTHER REFERENCES Beryllium-Copper, A Heat Treatable Alloy, by M. J. Donachie. Printed in Modern Metals, June 1945. 

